18.11.13

When Third Lanark were Scotland...

Third Lanark were a grand club with a noble history, but it is fair to say that the Hi Hi were never the major force in the Scottish game. Inspired by the fist international The Third Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers formed a team in December 1872. They reached the Cup Final twice in the 1870s and were winners in 1889 and1905. They won the League in 1904.In the 1920–21 Scottish Football League season Thirds had finished 8th. In the summer of 1921 Third Lanark undertook a tour of Canada and the USA. The tour was funded by the Dominion FA (Canada), and although Thirds needed the blessing of the Scottish FA to undertake the tour, and to temporarily engage the services of players from other clubs, it was not an official Scottish FA tour. The tourists were billed as either Scottish FA or even Scotland in Canada, while in the USA their hosts referred to them as Third Lanark.

The squad, however, was drawn from 8 Scottish clubs (but with no Celtic or Rangers players) as follows:

Third Lanark AC

Jimmy Brownlie*

John McCormack

Willie McAndrew

R.M.B. Orr

Partick Thistle

Jim McMenemy*

William Bulloch

Motherwell

Willie Rankin

Dumbarton

James Scott

Aberdeen

Doug Thompson

Dunfermline Athletic

Andy Wilson*

Tom Maxwell

Jimmy Gordon*

Joe Low

Ayr United

Neil McBain*

Albion Rovers

Alf Bennett

* Scottish internationals.

Canada

21.05.21

Halifax

0

7

Scottish FA

Halifax

3,000

24.05.21

Montreal All-Stars

2

6

Scottish FA

Point Charles

9,448

26.05.21

Hamilton All-Stars

0

6

Scottish FA

Hamilton

8,000

28.05.21

Toronto All-Stars

1

4

Scottish FA

Toronto

14,000

01.06.21

Ottawa All-Stars

0

7

Scottish FA

Ottawa

5,000

04.06.21

Manitoba All-Stars

1

3

Scottish FA

Winnipeg

9,000

06.06.21

Regina All-Stars

0

3

Scottish FA

Regina

2,500

08.06.21

Saskatoon All-Stars

0

6

Scottish FA

Mayfair Grounds Saskatoon

2,000

12.06.21

Calgary All-Stars

1

5

Scottish FA

Hillhurst Park Calgary

5,025

14.06.21

Edmonton All-Stars

0

6

Scottish FA

Edmonton

5,000

18.06.21

Mainland All-Stars

0

3

Scottish FA

Brockton Point Vancouver

6,000

20.06.21

Upper Island

0

4

Scottish FA

Nanaimo

3,500

22.06.21

Victoria

0

3

Scottish FA

Victoria

3,000

23.06.21

British Columbia

0

3

Scottish FA

Con Jones Park Vancouver

5,000

28.06.21

Prince Albert

0

3

Scottish FA

Prince Albert

1,500

01.07.21

Winnipeg

1

6

Scottish FA

Winnipeg

7,000

04.07.21

Fort William

1

7

Scottish FA

Fort William

07.07.21

Ontario

1

3

Scottish FA

Island Stadium Toronto

7,500

09.07.21

Canadian XI

0

1

Scottish FA

Alexandria Park Montreal

6,000

USA

10.07.21

Jersey City Celtics

2

4

Third Lanark

Jersey City

6,000

13.07.21

Bethlehem Steel

1

8

Third Lanark

Lehigh University

16.07.21

Philadelphia All-Stars

1

3

Third Lanark

Disston Ball Park Tacony

17.07.21

New York All-Stars

1

2

Third Lanark

New York Oval

6,000

Also recorded as Select Foreigners-Third Lanark

18.07.21

Massachusetts

3

6

Third Lanark

Little River Stadium Lynn

5,000

Also recorded as Massachusetts 3: Scottish F.A. 8

21.07.21

Fall River United

2

2

Third Lanark

Fall River

3,200

Andy Wilson was the star of the tour. Wilson played 12 full internationals for Scotland, scoring 13 goals. He played for Middlesbrough, Dunfermline Athletic, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers.